Word is leaking out about what the XM lineup will look like in a post-merger world. Supposedly the switch is going to be flipped on this very soon. Loyal Wisdom readers will recall that I’m a Sirius fan from way back, have never been very impressed with the music of XM and didn’t hold out much hope that the far-superior music lineup of Sirius would survive the merger.
So I’m really happy to see that Sirius’ music lineup is apparently winning the battle for bandwidth over XM’s completely unforgettable roster of stations. Yep, Underground Garage is there, along with Outlaw Country, 1st Wave, Classic Rewind and Classic Vinyl. Looks like the B.B. King-branded XM blues station sticks around, which is probably OK. Can’t say I’ve listened much to XM blues before, so I’ll leave that judgment to somebody with better ears for it (TCL).
But, alas, I am soon to no longer be a Sirius subscriber. My annual subscription expires on the 14th and I’m not renewing. It’s not a reflection of my views on Sirius or satellite radio; it’s purely a fiscal decision being driven by us being a one-income household right now and the fact that not having a job means not being in the car much to listen to Sirius. But I am at home a lot, and by virtue of being a Dish Network customer, I get all the Sirius music through my TV anyway at no added cost.
I’m proud to have been an early adopter of satellite radio (Nov. 14, 2003), and it’s still a technology that’ll be high on my list when I get back into a mode where I can really take advantage of it. The new XM lineup will probably get me on as an “XM” subscriber instead of a “Sirius” subscriber now, though. They’ve got SEC football and my TL has an XM-equipped radio built in.